NUCLEAR: Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner agrees to a deal with Exelon over a major energy bill that would subsidize nuclear plants there. (Quad-City Times)
ALSO:
• Federal regulators delay a decision to extend for 20 years an operating license for a southeast Michigan nuclear plant. (Toledo Blade)
• Exelon employees are optimistic that a deal will be reached to keep struggling nuclear plants open in Illinois. (Quad-City Times)
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WIND: Amid protests over the Dakota Access pipeline, seven Sioux tribes in North and South Dakota are developing what would be an enormous collection of wind farms on six reservations. (Midwest Energy News)
OHIO: An Ohio House panel advances a bill to weaken the state’s clean energy standards; Gov. John Kasich said the move may “send the wrong message,” but stopped short of saying he would veto it. (Columbus Dispatch)
EFFICIENCY: Michigan’s energy efficiency standard continues to exceed targets while producing $4.35 in benefits for every dollar spent, according to a new state report. (Midwest Energy News)
FRACKING: More questions are raised about the U.S. EPA’s controlling the message of a controversial study that, when released, said fracking had not “led to widespread, systemic impacts.” (American Public Media)
MICROGRIDS:
• A Minnesota-based consultant discusses what the political outlook means for microgrid research and development, as well as trends in regional deployment. (Midwest Energy News)
• American Electric Power seeks to build up to 10 solar-powered microgrids at critical facilities in Columbus, Ohio. (Greentech Media)
OIL AND GAS:
• Federal regulators say there are no major environmental impacts that should keep the multi-state NEXUS gas pipeline from being built, all but assuring construction will begin in early 2017. (Toledo Blade)
• A map of oil and gas pipeline incidents over the past 30 years shows the need for fossil fuel infrastructure improvements across the U.S. (CityLab)
SOLAR: A Nebraska utility is launching a new program that allows customers to buy “virtual solar panels,” or shares in the output of a nearby solar farm. (Lincoln Journal Star)
TRANSPORTATION: The EPA says it plans to keep strict fuel economy standards in place, finding automakers are already on track to meet them. (Washington Post)
CLEAN ENERGY: A new survey finds support among conservatives nationwide for clean energy. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
PIPELINES:
• North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple says pipeline protesters will not be forcibly removed and there will not be roadblocks after his emergency evacuation order created miscommunication among police agencies. (NPR)
• Dalrymple also invited the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council to meet and discuss “how to rebuild the damaged relationship between the tribe and the state.” (Bismarck Tribune)
• North Dakota will borrow another $7 million to cover the cost of law enforcement related to the Dakota Access pipeline protests. (Associated Press)
• Two protesters are arrested in Des Moines, Iowa, for trespassing after fasting for 10 days outside the Iowa Utilities Board building. (Des Moines Register)
RENEWABLES: A change in how the Department of Energy values renewable energy on the grid could make electricity from renewables more economically appealing than natural gas. (EnergyWire)
GRID: Removing and upgrading more than 900 miles of obsolete overhead wires in Detroit could cost more then $70 million. (Associated Press)
UTILITIES: Ohio lawmakers are unlikely to take action this year on proposals to regulate on sub-metering companies that resell electricity to apartments and condos. (Columbus Dispatch)
COMMENTARY: A local chamber of commerce says state policymakers should allow Dayton, Ohio’s utility to have “rate certainty” in order to benefit the area. (Dayton Business Journal)